Sport

Chance for Maoineach and Vocalised to continue on upward curve

THE JIM Bolger-Kevin Manning team attempt to transfer their sparkling early season form across channel today with both Vocalised…

Sat Apr 18 2009 - 01:00

THE JIM Bolger-Kevin Manning team attempt to transfer their sparkling early season form across channel today with both Vocalised and Maoineach taking in Group Three classic trials at Newbury, writes BRIAN O'CONNOR.

Maoineach is currently as low as 16 yo 1 for the Newmarket 1,000 Guineas after an impressive success at Leopardstown earlier this month and faces 17 opponents in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes which is registered as the Fred Darling.

“She has done well since her last race. It was good to firm at Leopardstown but she doesn’t mind it soft. We will take each race as it comes with her and she has plenty of options,” said Bolger yesterday.

Vocalised made most of the running to win the Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh on his own first start of 2009 and takes on a strong field in the Greenham Stakes.

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His opposition includes the Dewhurst Stakes third Finjaan as well as Godolphin’s Shaweel who was narrowly beaten by Mastercraftsman in the National Stakes at the Curragh. The Dewhurst runner-up, Lord Shanakill, misses the race due to a temperature.

Other cross-channel interest today will centre on the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr where another in-form trainer, Dessie Hughes, runs Sea Diva under jockey Roger Loughran.

Today’s Naas feature is the Listed Woodlands Stakes which can see Snaefell take advantage of soft ground conditions to win this race for the second year running.

Aidan O’Brien has his first juvenile starter of the season with the Danehill Dancer colt Alfred Nobel while Calm Bay looks a good option in the sprint handicap.

After putting back the start times of its first four festival days, the Punchestown authorities have now brought forward the beginning of the final day’s racing to avoid a potential clash with the Leinster-Munster Heineken Cup rugby semi-final. Racing on Saturday May 2nd will now start at 1.10pm and features the €130,000 Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle.

There will be an inspection this Monday ahead of Thursday’s Tipperary card but yesterday there was confirmation that the steeplechase course is already unfit for racing due to waterlogging.